Big Business of Selling Celebrity Secrets

Sept. 22, 2009

Page 3 of 3

Officials are now starting to take complaints more seriously. Travolta's extortion allegation led to two arrests. Tarino Lightbourne, the paramedic who first responded to Jett's collapse and Pleasant Bridgewater, a former politician, have pleaded not guilty. Two LAPD officers are on administrative leave because of the Rihanna leak. And, in the case of Parker's surrogate, paparazzi turned in the Ohio police chiefs, who have pleaded not guilty. They've been suspended and are scheduled to go to trial next month.

As for Fawcett, she took matters into her own hands, carrying out a sting operation, which she discussed in her documentary.

"When the first or second article came out, I knew immediately that the information was coming from UCLA to the National Enquirer," she said. "So when my cancer came back, that's when I set it up with my doctor. I said, 'You know and I know. I'm not telling Redmond, I'm not telling Ryan, I'm not telling my girlfriends. So I know if it came out, it was coming from UCLA.'"

Deliberately withholding the news from her friends and family, Stewart said the information came out in the tabloid within four days.

Holding Tabloids Accountable

Since then, UCLA has also strengthened its policies. According to a new state law that Fawcett was instrumental in getting passed, California hospitals are now required to report breaches to the Department of Public Health and can face fines of up to $250,000. Officials received more than 800 reports of health data breaches in the first five months alone.

But Stewart said she wants the tabloids to be held accountable, making it a crime to purchase stolen information.

"If you catch the people and stop the people that are buying the information and that are bribing people with money, then you're going to stop a lot of this invasion of privacy," she said.

A U.S. attorney is looking into the National Enquirer's role in the UCLA breach, saying it's part of an ongoing investigation.

American Media Inc., which owns the National Enquirer, had no comment.

Stewart told ABC News that Fawcett was in the middle of a settlement with the tabloid but died before a deal was worked out.

"She was going to give part of it to the Farrah Fawcett Foundation ... cancer research," Stewart said. "And, by the way, the best thing the National Enquirer could do today, if they have any decency about them, is to give a very large donation to the Farrah Fawcett Foundation, along with an apology. I think they owe it to Farrah."

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